Boiling lobsters while they are alive and conscious will be banned as part of a government strategy to improve animal welfare in England.

Government ministers say that “live boiling is not an acceptable killing method” for crustaceans and alternative guidance will be published.

The practice is already illegal in Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand. Animal welfare charities say that stunning lobsters with an electric gun or chilling them in cold air or ice before boiling them is more humane.

  • rossman@lemmy.zip
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    23 minutes ago

    I had to tactfully shame my mom for this. Asked if she wanted her end to be quick or slow. She didn’t have the capacity to even think of it cause it’s not a possibility. Some folks just don’t really think about others in certain ways.

  • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.world
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    3 hours ago

    I mean…this should be framed as an attempt at fixing an urban myth: that lobster tastes best when cooked alive.

    I worked in restaurants for years and we always killed them quickly and humanely before we boiled them.

    To me this is just low hanging fruit.

  • arc99@lemmy.world
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    1 hour ago

    The usual way of dispatching a lobster is a knife straight in the centre of the brain and cutting forward. Not sure why anyone would want a lobster to be alive when its actually cooked.

  • Gammelfisch@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    After watching Seaspriacy on Netflix, I stopped eating seafood, with exception to dried seaweed.

  • sunbytes@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    With this administration’s track record, I’m half expecting this to turn out to be the justification for putting “lobster-verification” cameras in everyone’s kitchen.

  • cheesybuddha@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Culinary school recommended a quick kitchen knife through the brain immediately before boiling

    • underscores@lemmy.zip
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      14 hours ago

      I do think the next human milestone would be to realize killing animals for sustenance is wrong, and I’m saying that as a meat eater.

      I think “decades” sadly is a bit too optimistic

      • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
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        13 hours ago

        Most people are happy to eat alternatives provided they are as cheap and taste good. The meat industry can be killed by good vegan food.

        • GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk
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          13 hours ago

          I reckon culture-grown meat will be the big one that shifts people away from slaughter meat.

          Sure, growing it from a culture will still have people refusing on ethics grounds, but it’s damned sight less suffering.

        • rbesfe@lemmy.ca
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          13 hours ago

          There is no such thing as a good tasting vegan meat replacement. Beyond meat is the closest I’ve seen and even that is a little gross

    • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      19 hours ago

      it’ll be 80 years before this policy reaches Southeast Asia, where they are regularly cutting live frogs in half below the torso with scissors in the markets, tossing all the dying frog torsos together in a big pile. maybe 180 years actually

        • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          8 hours ago

          they eat the legs. some folks will cut the head off and some folks will cut down by the torso. the frog will be grabbing at the scissors uselessly. if it bites, they will snip the mouth off. its very quick. grab a frog, snip snip, toss the frog into the pile, repeat. like harvesting a plant

          why don’t they all just cut at the head? i have no idea. i think the experience of the animal is simply not considered

  • BigAssFan@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    Just leave these animals to live their lives however they seem fit. Without unnecessary human interference. As we do have that option.

  • BoxOfFeet@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    While they are alive and conscious.

    That’s why I fill my lobsters with propofol before cooking them. People always say my dinner parties are a snooze. I don’t know why, I always have a good time. Of course, I don’t eat lobster.